2022 | 2023

ANNUAL REPORT
Photo: Creative Commons, Joe Mabel.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
BCRHA Mission
Letter From Executive Director, Brad Gordon
BCRHA Board of Commissioners
BCRHA Staff
The COVID - 19 Global Pandemic
Housing, Legal, and Consumer Services Program
Foreclosure Prevention Program
Berkshire Consumer Services Program
Berkshire County Regional Housing Authority
1 Fenn Street, 4th Floor The Dispute Resolution Center
Pittsfield, MA 01201 Tenancy Preservation Program
www.BCRHA.com TPP Homelessness and Related Services
www.facebook.com/BCRHA01201
(413) 443-7138 Support Services for Veterans Families (SSVF)
MOD-REHAB Section 8 - SRO11

Cover photo: Creative Commons, Kenneth C. Zirkel,

Client Stories
Park Square Historic District, Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Funders

1
 OUR MISSION

The mission of BCRHA is to develop opportunities

that will assist Berkshire County households in
securing the skills, knowledge, and resources
necessary to achieve self-sufficiency and household
stability by:

Developing and implementing a continuum of services

and programs that address the underlying causes of
household instability and homelessness.

Assisting households to develop strategies to

overcome barriers to self-sufficiency.

Collaborating with other human service providers,

including grassroots organizations and faith-based
organizations, to alleviate the causes and effects of
household, housing, and community instability.

2
WELCOME
Dear Commissioners, Community Partners, Funders, and Friends:
Although this may sound a bit corny, I wake up each
morning and ask myself how I can promote positive
change, even if only in an incremental manner. There
has been a longstanding realization for me that in the big
scheme of things we are on this planet for a brief time,
and that reality creates an urgency to hopefully leave
this place at least a little better than we found it. So, it
should not be surprising that, in both formal and im-
promptu meetings, I will often ask members of our staff
if they believe the work we are doing at the Berkshire
County Regional Housing Authority (BCRHA) is making
a positive difference in the communities we serve and
what evidence is there in support of their response to my
question. Fortunately, most responses I receive from staff
are exuberant affirmations of the work we are doing to
assist households in our region. This is typically support-
ed, especially by frontline staff, with specific examples
of positive case outcomes, which may include resolving
housing, consumer, school, or other types of community
or court connected disputes; preserving tenancies; secur-
ing permanent housing; obtaining consumer refunds; pre-
venting foreclosures; promoting better health outcomes;
supporting educational attainment; or providing legal and
educational counseling, allowing for more informed and
better decision-making and greater self-determination for
members of our community. Receiving this feedback is
an important part of measuring the impact of our pro-
gramming and it is equally important for ensuring that
everyone in the organization is committed to and invested
in the work we are doing. This feedback helps shape the
organization’s future, including both program develop-
ment and implementation.
The type of feedback these discussions generate is
a component of qualitative analysis. BCRHA utilizes
this qualitative data along with a significant amount of
quantitative data to tell us what we are doing well, what
areas we need to improve on, who we are serving, and to
learn more about community trends and needs. It is not
by accident that BCRHA is typically ahead of the curve
when it comes to addressing community concerns in an
effective, efficient, and equally as important, person-
centered manner. As you read through this year’s Annual
Report, it is my hope that you will see a distillation of this
data, which is simply a reflection of the amazing work per-
formed by our highly invested, hardworking staff, each
and every day, as they make a real difference for so many
in our community by promoting household, housing, and
community stability through the implementation
of BCRHA’s interrelated continuum of services and
programming.
We are grateful for the support and investment of our
Board of Commissioners, our funders, community part-
ners, and other champions of the organization. Without
your support, we would be unable to provide the high-
quality services that are so critical to the residents of both
Berkshire County and the Pioneer Valley.
We look forward to continuing our work in the coming
year and having an even greater impact in the commu-
nities we serve.
All the best,
Brad Gordon
Executive Director
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 The Berkshire County Regional Housing Authority Management Staff: (left
to right) Alyssa Capitanio, Director of Operations, Kim Borden, Director of
TPP and Related Services, Brad Gordon, Executive Director, Kristen Curtin,
Director of Housing, Legal and Consumer Services/SSVF, Kayla Allen,
Director of the Dispute Resolution Center.

Michael Richtell, Tenancy Preservation Program

Service Coordinator
Andrea Sholler, Dispute Resolution Center Case Coordinator
Katie Hyde, Housing Search Case Manager
Jerome Edgerton, Tenancy Preservation Program – EDI
Case Manager
Melissa Pabon, Tenancy Preservation Program Service
Coordinator (bilingual)
Stephanie Orestil, Housing and Consumer Counselor/Mediator
BCRHA STAFF MEMBERS (bilingual)
Brad Gordon, Executive Director/Staff Attorney Brennan Dempsey, Foreclosure Prevention Counselor/Mediator
Alyssa Capitanio, Director of Operations Alicia Jost, Youth Resource Case Manager
Kristen Curtin, Director of Housing, Legal and Consumer Services Yidialisse Cintron, Tenancy Preservation Program Service
Kayla Allen, Director of The Dispute Resolution Center Coordinator (bilingual)
Kim Borden, Director of Tenancy Preservation Program Betzaida Batista, Tenancy Preservation Program Service
and Related Services Coordinator (bilingual)
Jake Hogue, Tenancy Preservation Program – Pioneer Valley Ryon Clemons, Administrative Assistant
Program Coordinator Lynn Wallace, Dispute Resolution Center Case Coordinator
Jeff Peck, Tenancy Preservation Program – Berkshire Program Connie Bergs, Family/School Mediation Coordinator (bilingual)
Coordinator Minna Weisberger, Housing and Consumer Counselor/
Jim Hamilton, Foreclosure Prevention Counselor – Retired Mediator (bilingual)
September 2022!
Steve Abellie, Senior Tenancy Preservation Program Service
Coordinator (bilingual)
Kelly Allessio, Tenancy Preservation Program Service
Coordinator
Ryan Wanek, Youth Resource Case Manager
Carmen Morales, Tenancy Preservation Program Service
Coordinator (bilingual)
Taquoya Whitfield, Tenancy Preservation Program Service
Coordinator
Alisha White, Tenancy Preservation Program Service
Coordinator
Soum Bance, Tenancy Preservation Program Service
Coordinator (bilingual)

4
Board Member Recognition
A special ”Thank You” to Jim Pasquini for over 30 years of service on the BCRHA Board of
Commissioners! He is the longest serving board member in the organization’s 40-year history.
His commitment to the organization is deeply appreciated by the entire BCRHA staff.

BCRHA BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

Lisa Sloane, Chairperson James Pasquini, Board Member
Over 20 years of Service Over 30 years of Service
Appointed By: Berkshire Regional Planning Commission Appointed By: Department of Housing and Community
Jennifer Hohn, Vice Chairperson Development (DHCD)
Over 5 years of Service Stacy Parsons, Board Member
Appointed By: The City of North Adams Over 2 years of Service
Andrew Hochberg, Esq., Treasurer Appointed By: Department of Housing and Community
Over 20 years of Service Development (DHCD)
Appointed By: The City of Pittsfield Jay Sacchetti, Board Member
Steve Como, Board Member Over 2 years of Service
Over 10 years of Service Appointed By: Berkshire Regional Planning Commission
Appointed By: The City of Pittsfield

5
NEW ORGANIZATIONAL INITIATIVES
The Housing, Legal, and Consumer Services program began a dispute resolution options which has assisted in creating a school
collaboration with the Massachusetts Housing Partnership to environment that reflects youth empowerment and positive youth
provide Housing Counseling services to distressed homeowners development.
who are applying for financial assistance made available through
The expansion of the TPP program into the Pioneer Valley
the Department of Treasury. The Homeowner Assistance Fund
has been extremely successful. All clients were successfully
(HAF) provides financial assistance to aid homeowners who
transitioned from the Mental Health Association (MHA), (the
are behind on their mortgage payments and related expenses
previous TPP provider for the Pioneer Valley) without disruption
due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through January 2023, 70
of services. The relatively new Pioneer Valley TPP office is
Berkshire County homeowner households have applied for
now fully staffed with seven employees, including our Program
financial assistance through the HAF program, seeking a total
Coordinator. BCRHA’s TPP program continues to establish on-
of $921,628.00 in funding. In conjunction with the financial
going working relationships with agencies across the Pioneer
assistance, BCRHA provides foreclosure counseling, budgeting,
Valley. In partnership with the Western Division Housing Court,
and negotiation between the homeowner and lender to preserve
BCRHA established and now facilitates a TPP Advisory Board,
homeownership when possible and advises on softer landing
which meets quarterly and consists of 20 community partners in
options when a household must transition out of homeownership.
Berkshire County and the Pioneer Valley.
Since the beginning of the program, foreclosure prevention
counseling was a critical component to ensuring eligible The Eviction Diversion Initiative was added to TPP in December
homeowners had access to this funding and other external 2020. This program works with households facing housing
financial assistance programs, such as local funding sources. As insecurity due to COVID19 by assisting them in accessing
many in Berkshire County are still disadvantaged by the digital pandemic recovery related resources, with the most prominent
divide where some still do not have access to broadband internet, being financial assistance programs. In FY 22, this program
the support provided by counselors was crucial in ensuring preserved 76 tenancies.
these households were able to obtain the resources necessary to
maintain homeownership.
In partnership with the City of Pittsfield, through funding
provided under the ARPA grant program and the Pittsfield Public
School District, BCRHA’s Dispute Resolution Center expanded
the Family/School Mediation Program to include Taconic High
School, which serves as the feeder school for the existing
programming. Part of this expansion also included additional

BCRHA provided programming,

FY 2022 services and assistance to over 1,617
households in 2022!
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HOUSING, LEGAL, AND CONSUMER SERVICES PROGRAM
HUD-APPROVED HOUSING COUNSELING PROGRAM

TENANT & LANDLORD HOUSING & LEGAL COUNSELING LEGAL/HOUSING COUNSELING IS

AVAILABLE TO BERKSHIRE COUNTY
Principles behind housing and legal counseling
TENANTS, HOMEOWNERS, AND RENTAL
• Legal/Housing Counseling is the process of helping a PROPERTY OWNERS.
client with decision making relative to their circumstances.
A part of this process, the person providing legal/ Specific areas covered include but are not
housing counseling will typically give their opinion about limited to the following:
a presenting matter, which will usually be based upon • Security Deposit Law
legal precedent (the law), economic, social, and other • Last Month’s Rent
considerations.
• Types of Tenancies
• Informed Consent – Clients have the right of full access • Termination of Tenancies
to information about other legal resources and social
• Evictions
service options available to them before entering into
any agreement or reaching any decision. • Fair Housing Laws
• Reasonable Accommodation
• Impartiality – All participants have the right to fair, open,
Requirements
and equal treatment, free from bias, prejudice, or conflict
of interest. • State Sanitary Code Requirements
Subsidized/Affordable
• Confidentiality – All information will be kept within the
Program, with any exceptions agreed upon beforehand. Housing Regulations
• Foreclosure Laws Related to Rentals
• Quiet Enjoyment Laws
• Utilities Issues
• Lead Paint Law

FY 2022 • Financial Assistance Programs

358 tenant households, 20 rental property

owners, and 46 distressed homeowners
received housing/legal counseling.

The Housing Services Program

currently has 4 counselors who
are HUD-Certified.

7

FY 2022
The Foreclosure Prevention Program
assisted 46 distressed
households facing foreclosure.
75% of those households
maintained their homeownership,
avoided foreclosure, or are still currently
receiving counseling.
8
FORECLOSURE PREVENTION
SERVICES
BCRHA offers Foreclosure Prevention Counseling to distressed Berkshire
County Homeowners. Specific areas covered include but are not limited
to the following:
• Federal and State Foreclosure Laws
• Forbearance Options
• Loan Modification Option
• Reinstatement and Payment Plans
• Sale and Short Sale Options
• Deed–In–Lieu of Foreclosure Option
• Budgeting/Financial Literacy Classes
• Credit Restoration
• Financial Assistance/Soft Landing Options
BERKSHIRE CONSUMER SERVICES PROGRAM

The Berkshire Consumer Services Program (BCSP) is one of the 18 Local • Providing consumer education,
Consumer Programs (LCP) that are funded by and working in cooperation with information, counseling, resources,
the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office so that Berkshire County residents workshops, and more in areas as
and business can have access to local services and advocates who are familiar needed.
with the community.
• Promoting early intervention and
In Berkshire County, the Berkshire Consumer Services Program is administered strategies that allow consumers to
and implemented by Berkshire County Regional Housing Authority (BCRHA). prevent or have disputes resolved in a
BCRHA provides a continuum of programming that promotes household, timely manner without having to resort
housing, and community stability. The staff is trained to counsel, educate, and to the court system and/or retaining
inform consumers as well as businesses regarding their respective rights and attorneys.
responsibilities. The staff assist a wide range of consumers who inquire about a
• Providing a cost-free, accessible
variety of consumer related matters, including a wide range of consumer rights
resource for Berkshire County
matters, such as home repair, auto, retail, credit score, and travel concerns. In
consumers experiencing issues
addition, staff are trained mediators assisting consumers and businesses to
and/or disputes with for-profit
resolve these consumer related disputes.
businesses located in or outside of
The BCSP offers a free and voluntary mediation process, which seeks to resolve Berkshire County.
disputes – once a written complaint is filed – and hopefully reach a mutually
• Providing a cost-free, accessible
agreeable and amicable resolution. If the staff is not able to resolve a consumer’s
resource for consumers residing
particular complaint, all legal options are discussed and explained, including
outside of Massachusetts who need
how to file a claim in Small Claims Court. There may also be cases that are
assistance in resolving a dispute with a
appropriate for a referral to the BCRHA’s Dispute Resolution Center for Face-
Berkshire County located business.
to-Face Mediation (also available at no charge in most cases through BCRHA),
Community Legal Aid, or a private attorney.

FY 2022
The Berkshire Consumer Services Program assisted
114 households regarding consumer related matters; the program
recovered $56,415.37 for those households.
The Berkshire Consumer Services Program fielded
60 consumer counseling inquiries for assistance on
a variety of subject matter.

9

FY 2022
The Dispute Resolution
Center served over 600
households.
The Dispute Resolution
Center conducted 298
mediations with a
success rate of 87%.
The Dispute Resolution Center
had an active roster of 15
volunteer mediators.
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DISPUTE RESOLUTION CENTER
Mediation is a dispute resolution process in which a neutral third party assists the disputing
parties to identify and discuss issues of mutual concern, explore solutions, and develop
mutually acceptable settlements.
COURT-CONNECTED MEDIATION
(CONCILIATION)
Although BCRHA is approved to provide
mediation and conciliation services in the
Berkshire County District and Juvenile
Courts as well as the Berkshire Superior
Court, the agency primarily provides
court-connected mediation and conciliation
services in the Berkshire County District
Courts. The specific types of cases or
disputes that are appropriate for mediation
include but are not limited to the following:
• Landlord/Tenant disputes, including
eviction cases
• Small Claims disputes
• Neighbor disputes
• Property and real estate disputes
• Contract and other commercial disputes
• Consumer/Creditor disputes
• Trespass and Nuisance disputes
• Criminal Show Cause Cases, including
bullying/cyber-bullying and harassment
cases
• Other civil disputes
FAMILY/SCHOOL MEDIATION PROGRAM
Currently accessible at Conte Elementary
and Reid Middle School, the Family/School
Program offers dispute resolution services
to students, teachers, and parents. The
specific processes offered under the
program include, but are not limited to, on-
site mediations, restorative practices, and
conflict coaching.
COMMUNITY-BASED MEDIATION
BCRHA is a community mediation program,
providing both highly trained volunteer
mediators and staff mediators to resolve a
wide range of community-based disputes,
including but not limited to the following:
• Landlord/Tenant disputes, including
eviction cases
• Neighbor/Neighborhood disputes
• Property and Real Estate disputes
• Contract and other Commercial disputes
• Trespass and Nuisance disputes
• School based disputes
• Elder and estate planning related
disputes
RE-ENTRY MEDIATION PROGRAM
Currently available to residents of the
Berkshire County House of Corrections and
Berkshire County residents of the Women’s
Correctional Facility in Chicopee as well
as to former residents of these institutions
who are participating in programs at
Second Street Second Chances in Pittsfield.
The program offers in person mediation
services designed to improve relationships
between currently incarcerated or
recently incarcerated individuals and
family members to establish lines of
communication on a range of issues that
may serve to prevent recidivism. Sessions
have varied from one session to a series of
sessions over an 8-month period.
TENANCY PRESERVATION PROGRAM (TPP)
TPP works with individuals and
families with disabilities that are facing
eviction because of behaviors related
to a disability (e.g., mental illness,
developmental disabilities, substance
abuse, and aging-related impairments).
TPP functions as a neutral party to the
landlord and tenant. In consultation
with the Western Massachusetts
Housing Court Division, TPP assists
the property owner and tenant to
determine whether the disability can
be reasonably accommodated, and the
tenancy preserved. TPP case managers
assess the reasons for the eviction,
identify gaps in services, locate
eligible services and develop a plan to
implement those community-based
services to maintain the tenancy.
TPP utilizes a Critical Time Intervention
(CTI) model, which is a national best
practice.
This process involves the provision
of clinically informed, short-term
transitional case management services
to stabilize a households permanent
housing by addressing underlying
issues that are creating housing
insecurity for the household, until a
permanent community-based service
provider can be identified and engage
with the tenant.
The expansion of the TPP program
into the Pioneer Valley was extremely
successful. We continued to work
closely (through weekly virtual
meetings) with the Western Division
Housing Court to ensure the transition
remained seamless for the first six
months. We successfully transitioned
without disruption of services and
eventually the weekly meetings
were no longer necessary. We are
fully staffed and have successfully
established positive working rela-
tionships with agencies in the Pioneer
Valley. Additionally, in partnership with
the Western Division Housing Court,
we have organized and facilitate a
TPP Advisory Board, which meets
quarterly and consists of 20 commu-
nity partners in Berkshire County and
the Pioneer Valley.
The Eviction Diversion Initiative was
added to TPP in December 2020. This
program works with households facing
housing insecurity due to COVID19 by
assisting them in accessing pandemic
recovery related resources, with
the most prominent being financial
assistance programs. These supports
also included supporting landlords in
assisting their tenants with financial
assistance applications. In FY 22, this
program preserved 76 tenancies.

The Tenancy Preservation Program assisted over 139 households in

FY 2022 preserving their tenancies. In Berkshire County we preserved 53 tenancies
and in the Pioneer Valley, we preserved 86 tenancies.
TPP continued our partnership with the Berkshire Fallon Health Collaborative
(BFHC) to address housing instability and prevent homelessness, with a
specific focus on serving BFHC’s at-risk clients and providing support to BFHC’s
case management staff. This initiative is funded by Mass Health and is one of
the first such programs to go live in Massachusetts. This initiative has
helped to demonstrate the relationship between the promotion
of housing stability and positive health and mental health
outcomes. In 2022, we received 55 referrals from Berkshire Health Systems.

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TPP RESIDENT SERVICE COORDINATOR (RSC) SERVICES
BCRHA contracted with Pittsfield Housing Authority to implement the Resident Service Coordinator (RSC) Program. PHA refers tenants
whose housing is at risk with the goal of preserving residents’ tenancies without court action. These households do not meet the
eligibility criteria for TPP but benefit from the skills of a TPP affiliated Service Coordinator, who works with these households to address
any underlying issues related to their potential housing instability. The RSC worked with 34 PHA households in FY22.

TPP HOMELESSNESS AND

FY 2022
The Youth Program was able to serve
36 unaffiliated at-risk and
homeless youth resulting in the
placement into permanent housing or
preservation of the tenancies of
22 households.
RELATED SERVICES
YOUTH PROGRAM
BCRHA’s Youth and Young Adult Services Program offers case management
for YYA’s who are homeless or at risk for homelessness. The goal of case
management is to help young people (unaffiliated individuals under the age of
25) develop skills to help them become independent, such as budgeting and job
search and to connect them to safe housing. The YYA Services Program also
connects with other YYA providers including Pittsfield Community Connection,
Healthy Families, 18 Degrees and DCF to develop case management that is
housing focused. Funded by EOHHS, the YYA Services program also offers
flexible funding for YYAs, when funding is available, to assist with securing or
sustaining an apartment.

HOUSING SEARCH/RAPID REHOUSING

FY 2022
149 households received housing
search information and referrals. In
addition, 49 households received
intensive housing search and 56 of those
households (which included households
carried over from FY21), were placed
into permanent housing.
13 households were placed into
permanent housing and 10 households
were diverted from homelessness on
the street or in shelter through our Rapid
Rehousing Program.
12
The Berkshire County Regional Housing Authority implements two different
housing search programs within our organization. We have one case manager
who focuses solely on families and households that are housing-ready while
the other case manager works specifically with homeless populations, with an
emphasis on rapid rehousing for this population.
The Berkshire County Regional Housing Authority offers both light touch
housing search assistance as well as a more intensive housing search program
for households that qualify.
Some services that are offered include:
• Private Market Housing Resources
• Subsidized and Public Housing Resources
• Community Supports and Linkage
• Budgeting/Financial Planning/Financial Assistance
• Housing Search strategies
• Housing barrier mitigation strategies for CORI, credit, and poor tenant
history issues.
SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR VETERAN FAMILIES (SSVF)
In 2008, a provision was made in Section 604 of the Veterans
Mental Health and Other Care Act authorizing the Department
of Veterans Affairs to develop the Supportive Services for
Veteran Families (SSVF) Program. SSVF grants were awarded
around the country to selected non-profits and consumer
cooperatives that assist very low-income veteran families
residing in or transitioning to permanent housing; Soldier On
became one of the selected non-profit agencies. These funds
have allowed Soldier On to further their mission and goal of
providing stable, sustainable housing for veterans. The outreach
program aims to assist veterans and their families before they
become homeless in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
and Western Massachusetts. Soldier On provides in-home
case management, referral services and temporary financial
assistance for housing to veterans who are homeless or facing
homelessness. Soldier On strives to provide veterans with the
services and support they need to carry on healthy, productive MOD-REHAB SECTION 8: SRO PROGRAM
lives in homes of their own. This development consists of 41 Section 8 Single Room
Occupancy units located in two connected buildings
In 2014, The Berkshire County Regional Housing Authority
in the City of North Adams, Massachusetts. These
partnered with Soldier On’s SSVF Program to provide housing
buildings are currently owned, operated, and maintained
support and guidance to Housing Specialists in the various states
by Ransford Properties, North Adams, MA. BCRHA’s
and regions where Soldier On provides SSVF programming: New
sole responsibility is to administer the Section 8
Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.
subsidies for this development. BCRHA DOES NOT own
or manage this site. The SRO development provides
permanent affordable housing to formerly homeless
individuals, many of whom would have no other
affordable housing options in Berkshire County.

FY 2022
Soldier On and BCRHA marked 8 years of
partnership under the SSVF program!

13
CLIENT STORIES
CLIENT STORIES

1
A tenant was referred to housing counseling after being the victim of a fire caused
by an electrical incident. The tenant has a Section 8 voucher and has lived on the
property for 22 years. The tenant is disabled and became homeless. She was re-
quired to stay in a motel after the incident and had spent two weeks waiting for
housing to be available. Due to a shortage of funds, the tenant was unable to stay for
an extended period. Through counseling, a household budget plan was developed to
clarify the steps and resources required to improve the tenant’s situation. The tenant
had a support animal, a dog, making it harder to find an apartment. A release of in-
formation was emailed to the tenant, to contact the property managers on her behalf.
The property managers were accommodating and sympathetic to the tenant’s situa-
tion and promptly found a new residence for the tenant within their property portfo-
lio. Soon after, the tenant moved to her new apartment and was able to preserve her
Section 8 voucher and was also able to receive funding assistance for her relocation
expenses. The tenant expressed that she was satisfied with her new place and was
grateful that BCRHA was able to help her avoid continued homelessness.

14
2
The tenant came as a referral from the
Dispute Resolution Center for legal
counseling. The tenant lost her job during
Covid causing a rental crisis. The tenant
had recently received rental assistance
earlier in the year and was unsure if it would
be an option again. With limited income
in a five-person household, the family
was struggling. At this point, the tenant
was scheduled for an execution hearing
in five days. The tenant was working with
the sheriff and trying to mediate with the
landlord through the Dispute Resolution
Center; however, the tenant did not have
much hope left. The Housing Counselor
contacted Berkshire Housing and found
that they had received rental assistance
through the ERAP program and could in
fact apply for rental assistance through the
RAFT program. The Housing Counselor
guided the tenant by emailing documents
and information and filled out the RAFT
application for the tenant. They discussed
the programs the household was currently
utilizing such as Fuel Assistance and SNAP
and discussed the opportunities that the
tenant might be able to find if the tenant
were willing to work with MassHire.
The Housing Counselor called to follow up
with the tenant the day after her execution
hearing. Unfortunately, the judge ordered
the tenant to be out of her home in three
days. The tenant and her family had begun
moving out and planned to live with her
mother. The tenant stated that she recently
received an increase in income that could
help to cover future rent costs, if she could
just get current on what she owed. She
gave the Housing Counselor permission to
contact her landlord to attempt to preserve
the tenancy. The Housing Counselor
contacted the landlord and explained that
a RAFT application had been filled out and
the tenant had a recent increase in income
that would allow them to stay current on
their rent once they were caught up if the
landlord agreed to let them stay. Of course,
because the tenant had been behind on rent
for so long, the landlord was understandably
hesitant to accept this offer. He informed
the Housing Counselor that he needed to
know for sure that RAFT would go through.
The next morning the Housing Counselor
received a phone call from the landlord
stating that RAFT had gone through, and the
tenant could stay. The RAFT program was
able to cover the rent that the tenant owed
plus one month extra. The tenant came up
with a plan to pay one month of rent to the
landlord which would also allow them to
get a month ahead so that they didn’t have
to worry about falling behind. With a little
guidance, assistance, mediation, and a
landlord willing to give a tenant one more
chance, eviction was preventable for one
more family.
15
CLIENT STORIES

3
Complaint was filed against a Solar Electricity company after a client had experienced
extensive medical issues related to electricity flow from the solar panels. The symptoms
and pain experienced by client stopped her from using entire sections of her home,
including her bedroom, as she could not sleep while her body was reacting with the
equipment on the roof. The client had worked with the business prior to filing the
complaint but had been unable to get to an agreeable contract rescission. The business
had asked the client to test innumerable other causes for her illness, including a wide
range of medical and household testing. The client complied with all requests but was
unable to find relief. Shortly before contacting the LCP, the panels were turned off but left
in place. This resulted in the consumer experiencing a complete reprieve of her symptoms.

Once working with the LCP, the solar business was willing to discuss options that included
the removal of the panels from the roof and allowed the consumer to annul her contract.
Through negotiation with both parties, the client was offered an agreement cancelling
her contract and all future payments and the panels are scheduled to be removed by the
installer. This saved the consumer nearly $30k in payments and allowed her to enjoy her
home once again without the nerve pain resulting from electric current.

4
A homeowner household contacted BCRHA after falling several months behind in mortgage
payments due to suffering from severe bouts of depression which was enhanced by fears of
potential homelessness. The homeowner had a pending court date, which would be a step
towards imminent risk of foreclosure. Through housing counseling and negotiation with the
lender the homeowner was able to pause the foreclosure process. Support was provided to
ensure completion of an application for the Homeowners Assistance Fund (HAF) to satisfy
the mortgage arrears, as the homeowner also struggled with utilizing technology. Documents
were gathered and uploaded to the HAF portal on behalf of the homeowner, all with the intent
of obtaining funding to preserve homeownership. Through a combined effort of speaking to
the lender and assisting with the HAF program application, the mortgage is now current, and
the household looks forward to a more stable financial future.

16
5 6
A young adult, who was close to
giving birth to her first child, was
imminently at risk of becoming
homeless when she was referred to
us by a friend who was familiar with
the services offered by our agency.
We were able to rehouse her very
quickly (within the first two weeks
of her intake) in the location she
needed to live in to be close to trans-
portation and support. Knowing that
she would have a safe place to bring
her child home to live enabled her to
move forward and focus on referrals
to the services we referred her to
that will assist this family. We made
referrals to Agencies/programs such
as WIC and Snap benefits, which
will assist with food and formula,
MassHire for employment search,
Healthy Families to support her as a
first-time young parent as well as to
assist her with placing her unborn
child on a waitlist for childcare, in
hope that by the time she’s ready
to place her child in daycare, the
child will be at the top of the wait-
list. The client’s file was left open
for stabilization and follow up for
three months following placement
and as a side note, the case manager
felt a deep sense of satisfaction and
accomplishment in witnessing the
pride this young adult had shown in
her own personal growth.
An individual incarcerated at
the Berkshire County House
of Corrections requested the
opportunity to participate
in re-entry mediation with
his partner. During the
monthly mediation sessions,
the participants were able
to address their anger with
each other and were able
to move beyond blame and
began to communicate how
they could move forward.
During the final few months
of mediation, the parties
created an agreement
which detailed post-release
commitments, including
housing. Much of what was
agreed to represented growth
in perspective from where
the parties had originally
begun their mediation. The
incarcerated individual
submitted the fully executed
agreement to the parole
board. Parole was granted
and the parties have a path
forward.
17
CLIENT STORIES

7
Our Pioneer Valley Office received a TPP referral from the Housing Court and immediately
reached out to the client. She lived in subsidized housing and was facing eviction for being
behind in her rent and for failing to recertify (which is a yearly process with subsidized housing).
Upon meeting the client at her home, we found that she had already packed everything in her
home. Through our intake and assessment process, we learned that she was very anxious, had
been homeless in the past and was very afraid of being homeless again. She had spent 2 of
the past 3 years in Shelters and was convinced that the cycle was starting over. Her anxiety
and mental health were interfering with her being successful in her new apartment. Once we
identified the needs of this family, we made appropriate referrals to Clinical Support Options
(CSO) and the Behavioral Health Network for therapy and obtained therapists for all of them.
With therapeutic services in place, the tenancy began to turn around. We assisted her with
completion of her recertification, helped her apply for RAFT to pay the rent arrears and helped
her complete the SSI application for her eldest son. We also worked with her on strengthening
her communication skills so that she would feel comfortable in the future following up with the
property manager on any concerns that she had with her tenancy. Her tenancy was preserved,
the court case was dismissed, and this family continues to thrive in their home.

8
Our Berkshire County Office received a TPP referral from Elder Protective Services. This elder
was being evicted from Elderly Subsidized Housing for significant housekeeping issues. The
client lost her Personal Care Assistant (PCA) services several months prior to the referral
being made to TPP which contributed to the deteriorating conditions in her apartment. TPP
Staff immediately made a referral to Community Legal Aid for legal assistance, which was
approved. After several negotiated meetings between the two attorneys (the landlord’s
attorney and Community Legal Aid) it was agreed that TPP would assist the tenant with the
required preparation to allow the Landlord to replace the floor covering in her apartment
which had become a health and safety issue due to its condition. TPP would also reconnect
the client with a PCA program which she is eligible for.

Preparations for the flooring replacement were conducted by TPP staff, which involved
moving her non-furniture items to a vacant apartment so that the flooring could be replaced.
She was reconnected with and found eligible for a PCA program through an agency called
At Home with Berkshire Place which assists eligible elders with housekeeping, laundry, and
meal preparation. Having met the terms of the agreement the case against her was dismissed
and the tenancy was preserved.

18
9
We began working with this client in January of 2022 through our Rapid
Rehousing Program. There were many obstacles that interfered with his housing
search. He was struggling with addiction and working diligently to achieve and
maintain his sobriety. He had just left the Single Room Occupancy (SRO) in North
Adams a few weeks prior to contacting us and was limited to friends and family
to help give him a place to lay his head. After couch surfing from place to place
he realized that he needed more help. We talked about some local options for him
such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings and Alternative Living Center
(ALC) to help him maintain his sobriety. Ultimately, he was accepted into the
North Adams ALC program.

While at the ALC, we assisted him with applying for a Housing Voucher. When
he was denied the voucher, we made a referral to Community Legal Aid who
was able to assist him with an appeal that resulted in overturning that decision.
With his section 8 housing voucher now approved, he was able to focus more
on sobriety and stay on track with the program at ALC as we assisted him with
housing search.

Once his program was completed, he was so successful and had built such a good
reputation with the men there that he was offered a part time job working at the
ALC. We found an apartment at Brayton Hill, and he successfully moved into his
new apartment, using his section 8 voucher.

His file was left open for stabilization for several months and he is not only stable
in his apartment but in his job, supporting other men who enter the ALC program.

19
 THANK YOU TO ALL OUR FUNDERS!!!

Berkshire Health Systems

Berkshire Housing Development Corporation (BHDC)
Citizen’s Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA)
City of Pittsfield (CDBG)
Community Action Pioneer Valley (CAPV)
Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD)
Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD)
Division of Banks (DOB)
Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG)
Housing Counseling & Education Centers (HCEC)
Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO)
Massachusetts Bar Foundation (MBF)
Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP)
Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance (MHSA)
Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC)
MassHousing
ServiceNet
Soldier On

20
Berkshire County Regional Housing Authority
1 Fenn Street, 4th Floor
Pittsfield, MA 01201

www.BCRHA.com
www.facebook.com/BCRHA01201
413-443-7138